Education Overview

BCLE stands for Business Continuity License Examination course. It consists of 4.5 days of training and a half day examination. The examination papers are from DRII and will be administered in a standard exam room environment. The exam scripts will then be sealed and couriered to DRII in Washington for audit and assessment. The result will be released by DRII directly.

Besides BCLE-2000, which is the 5-day course, there is also BCP-501 which is the 3-day version and meant for people who have been in the business for a while. They may just need a very quick refresher to get them through a quick revision and then sit for the certification examination. This course may serve as a introductory course for anyone who wishes to learn the subject matter.

Attendance at the training is important although it is a big help and most candidates of the examination adopts the course-followed-by-examination route.

All candidates who have taken the examination and obtained a pass grade must apply for certification within the next two years of the examination; failure to do so will render the results invalid due to expiry. Now, if the candidate does not possess two years of related experience in at least 5 of the 10 professional practices. He would only be granted the certification grade of ABCP (Associate Business Continuity Professional) and can apply for an upgrade of certification status after he has obtained the relevant number of years of experience in the relevant professional practices.

For him/her who have obtained the MBCP grade, he/she is eligible to take the Masters examination which is a case-study examination of 3-1/2 hours and only after he/ she has proven record of minimum of 5 years in at least 7 professional practices.

Knowledge acquired are compliant with the Singapore Standard SS540:2008 and many international standards

Training Course

Singapore training has an additional half day Q & A revision session to ensure participants have sufficient time and study for the qualifying examination.

Course Outline

• Lesson 1: BCM Project Management & Executive Support
  In this lesson you will learn how to establish the need for a business continuity program in your organization and how to obtain management support. You will also learn how to organize and manage the process of developing a business continuity program. This lesson identifies the requirements and imperatives of project management methodologies required to develop an enterprise-wide Business Continuity Program.


• Lesson 2: Risk Assessment and Analysis
  This lesson introduces the basic concepts of Risk Management and develops familiarity with the methodologies and models used in the Business Continuity Management profession, by providing an understanding of what a risk assessment is all about, why a risk assessment is important to a business continuity program, the elements of a risk assessment, and how these are utilized to build a business continuity program.


• Lesson 3: Business Impact Analysis
  This lesson introduces the reasons for and value of conducting a Business Impact Analysis. The student will understand methodologies, terms and definitions such as Mission Critical business processes, Recovery Time Objectives (RTO), and Acceptable Exposure to Loss.


• Lesson 4: Developing Business Continuity Strategies
  This lesson introduces the student to the challenges of selecting the appropriate strategies for recovery of business processes, critical functions, operations and the supporting information technologies within the specified recovery time objective. It defines alternative strategies, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of strategies and methodologies for presentation to management. We will identify the process steps involved in the analysis and strategy determination. This will be directly linked and supported by the data gathering activities accomplished during the risk assessment and BIA.


• Lesson 5: Emergency Preparedness and Response
  The purpose of this lesson is to provide an understanding of the emergency management structure and the planning necessary to manage a crisis for your organization. This will include identification, escalation, and notification procedures. It covers the challenges of reviewing and coordinating emergency evacuation programs in place in organizations, or working with the responsible areas to develop or enhance existing programs. Life safety procedures, emergency response procedures, and plan activation procedures are reviewed in detail. Specifically, you will learn how to lead your organization in implementing an action plan structure and mobilizing in response to an emergency. It will focus on procedures for activating the Emergency Operations Center and corresponding command centers, securing the area, assessing the damage, and salvage and restoration activities.


• Lesson 6: Crisis Communications
  All plans must include communication elements and this chapter is designed to assist the student in making al the necessary preparations for managing an emergency. This lesson focuses on how to develop procedures that will allow you to effectively communicate with all audiences, to identify and train spokespersons, to develop key messages, and to work effectively with the media.


• Lesson 7: Coordination with External Agencies
  In Lesson 7, the student will learn to apply communication techniques, investigate partnering, and also review the Incident Command System. It also addresses compliance issues with applicable statutes or regulations. The student will understand terminology, priorities of first responders, and how to interface with emergency agencies.


• Lesson 8: Plan Activation
  In this lesson, you will learn about the emergency management structure and the planning necessary to manage a crisis for your organization. Specifically, you will learn how to lead your organization in implementing an action plan to structure and mobilize in response to an emergency. This lesson will focus on procedures for activating the Emergency Operations Center and corresponding command centers, securing the area, assessing the damage, and salvage and restoration activities.


• Lesson 9: Plan Development
  This lesson is designed to cover the application of skills and information gathered in putting the BCM program into action by identifying the components of the planning process including plan methodology, implementation, organization, and documentation. In order to develop the actual BCM plan document you will need to lead your organization in several decisions on the approach, methodology and the plan document structure. We will address and discuss these issues to allow you as the planner to facilitate your organization in making these determinations. Experienced planners recognize that the plan document that best meets the needs of the organization and the personnel are most comfortable with using will be the plan document structure that is successful. This chapter will conclude with the elements of plan administration and plan documentation.


• Lesson 10: Awareness and Training Programs
  This lesson is designed to assist the student in developing the elements of a BC training and awareness program that will create and maintain organizational awareness and enhance the skills required to develop, implement, maintain, and execute all Business Continuity initiatives. The student will learn to differentiate the needs of demographic groups and teams within the BCM program. Students will gain from hands-on interactive activities designed to assist all professionals in enhancing the visibility and reach of their BCM programs.


• Lesson 11: Testing and Exercise Programs
  The students will learn and apply various techniques to improve the timeliness and quality of the BCM team response. Lesson 11 thoroughly reviews a variety testing and exercise programs and how to develop them for your organization. Interactive activities will help students to enhance the resiliency of their programs.


• Lesson 12: Maintaining & Updating Plans
  This lesson is provides the student with an overview and working knowledge of Professional Practice 8 and assists in developing processes to maintain the currency of continuity capabilities and the plan document in accordance with the organizations strategic direction.


• Appendix : DRI Professional Practices and SS540:2008 Cross Reference
  This lesson will explain the cross reference of DRI Professional Practices with SS540:2008 and how DRI Professional Practice is compliance with SS540:2008

2009 Course Schedule / Certification Brochure

BCP-501 (3-day course on Business Continuity Management Review)

The BCP 501 is an express business continuity planning course designed for experienced professionals in business continuity or disaster recovery planning. This course covers the DRI best Professional Practices for Business Continuity Professionals with cross referencing to Singapore BCM Standard SS540:2008. This 3-day course features 18 hours of instruction followed by the Qualifying Examination. Instructors take a fast-paced approach to the Professional Practices with emphasis on BC planning and the knowledge, skills and procedures needed to effectively implement each step of the planning process. The examination papers are from DRII and will be administered in a standard exam room environment. The exam scripts will then be sealed and couriered to DRII in Washington for audit and assessment. The result will be released by DRII directly.

Course Outline

• Lesson 1: BCM Project Initiation and Management
  This lesson focuses on how to establish the need for a business continuity management (BCM) Process or Function and obtaining management support and organizing and managing the formulation of the function or process either in collaboration with, or as a key component of, an integrated risk management initiative.


• Lesson 2: Risk Evaluation and Control
  This lesson focuses on how to determine the events and external surroundings that can adversely affect the organization and its resources with disruption as well as disaster, the damage such events can cause, and the controls needed to prevent or minimize the effects of potential loss. Provide cost-benefit analysis to justify investment in controls to mitigate risks.


• Lesson 3: Business Impact Analysis
  This lesson focuses on how to identify the impacts resulting from disruptions and disaster scenarios that can affect the organization and techniques that can be used to quantity and qualify such impacts. Identify time-critical functions, their recovery priorities, and inter-dependencies so that recovery time objectives can be set.


• Lesson 4: Developing Business Continuity Strategies
  This lesson focuses on how to determine and guide the selection of possible business operating strategies for continuation of business within the recovery point objective and recovery time objective, while maintaining the organizations critical functions.


• Lesson 5: Emergency Preparedness and Response
  This lesson focuses on how to develop and implement procedures for response and stabilizing the situation following an incident or event, including establishing and managing an Emergency Operations Center.


• Lesson 6: Developing and Implementing Business Continuity Plans
  This lesson focuses on how to design, develop, and implement Business Continuity Plans that provide continuity within the recovery time and recovery point objectives.


• Lesson 7: Crisis Communications
  This lesson focuses on how to develop, coordinate, evaluate, and exercise plans to communicate with all audiences and the media.


• Lesson 8: Coordination with External Agencies
  The lesson focuses on how to establish applicable procedures and policies for coordinating continuity and restoration activities with external agencies while ensuring compliance with applicable statutes or regulations.


• Lesson 9: Awareness and Training Programs
  This lesson focuses on prepare a program to create and maintain corporate awareness and enhance the skills required to develop and implement the Business Continuity Management Program or process and its supporting activities.


• Lesson 10: Exercising and Maintaining Business Continuity Plans
  This lesson focuses on how to pre-plan and coordinate plan exercises, and evaluate and document plan exercise results. Develop processes to maintain the currency of continuity capabilities and the plan document in accordance with the organizations strategic direction. Verify that the Plan will prove effective by comparison with a suitable standard, and report results in a clear and concise manner.


• Appendix : DRI Professional Practices and SS540:2008 Cross Reference
  This lesson will explain the cross reference of DRI Professional Practices with SS540:2008 and how DRI Professional Practice is compliance with SS540:2008

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BCP-210 (Course on Business Impact Analysis, Advanced)
TBA

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